Guitar tuning device



Dec. l5, 1953 F. B. sNoDGRAss 2,662,439

GUITAR TUNING DEVICE Filed Nov. 14, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l H l l ll 'MINI Il lull INVENTOR.

Dec. 15, 1953 Filed Nov. 14, 1950 F. B. sNoDGRAss GUITAR TUNING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 22 orp. /vao Grass Patented Dec. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,662,439 GUITAR TUNING DEVICE Floyd B. Snodgrass, Cartersburg, Ind. Application November 14, 1950, Serial No. 195,505 ,2 Claims. (ci. 84-312) tightened or loosened by the operation of a suitable instrumentality preferably operated by the Dlayers foot.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, certain embodiments thereof are shown in the accompanying drawings in which 'g. 1 is a plan view of an instrument embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. is an elevation of the tensioning levers, more or less diagrammatically shown, showing the increasedtension lever operated.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the lessening tension lever operated.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a modiiication of the lever mounting.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. '7 is a similar end view showing a modication.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated I provide a guitar-like instrument which includes a frame I supporting therein a board il, the portion i2 thereof constituting the belly of the instrument.

Mounted on the board H is a peg setting I3 adapted to receive the adjustable or rotatable In the present instance I have illustrated six strings l which pass over this bar grooved andi anchored against transverse movement to maintainthe strings in their spaced relation.

spaced apart from the top of the lever to provide a throat into which the string i5 is adapted to be fastened by slipping the knotted end of the string into the throat.

AS illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, this lever 20 is pivoted as at 23 on the lever 2l. The lever 2l is pivoted at a point slightly removed from its end on a pivot rod 24 which extends between suitable supporting members 25 secured to the inner face of the side members of the frame I0.

The front end of the lever 2i is biased downwardly through the medium of a coiled spring 26, one end of which is anchored to the front end of side members of the frame I0. e rear end of the lever 20 is biased in an upward direction anchored to side members 3l supported upon the side members of the frame l0.

By this arrangement normal tension on each of the strings is maintained by its pair of controlling levers.

ticnary, the string may be pulled downwardly, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, increasing the tension.

However, 1r 1t bev desired to decrease the tension on the string the rear end of the lever 2l is depressed; This will rock the lever on the pivot dicated in Fig. 4.

For operating the respective pairs of levers I provide presser bars 32, one foreach pair of A adapted to receive pedals. These pressure bars extend transversely across the entire set of levers and are guided on vertically extending guide rods 33 supported on supporting members 34 secured to the underside of the side members of the frame l0. These guide rods extend through cup-like openings 35 likewise resting on the supports 34 which receive coiled springs 33 bearing at their upper ends against the presser accordingly biasing the presser bars 32 in their raised position.

Each of the presser bars is moved downwardly through the medium of a cross member 31 connected at its opposite ends to rods 33 extending downwardly from the presser bar and this cross member in turn is connected to a suitable flexible connection 39 adapted to be connected to aV control pedal disposed on the floor. Each of the presser bars is provided with a threaded socket above each of the levers constituting the tensioning levers for the strings.

adjustable pressure stops in the form of screws 43 which may be inserted in selected sockets and adjusted to height to control the tensioning of selected levers by the movement of the respective pedals.

By this arrangement various chords may be produced on the instrument by varying the tension of selected strings; the screws may be set to engage one of the tensioning releasing levers of one pair tension of one string. Another screw may be set for engagement with the tensioning increasing lever of another string so that when the selected pressure bar is depressed the tension of selected strings may be either relieved or increased accordingly.

In some instances it may be desirable to use a single treadle for controlling a plurality of sets of levers by a simple depression of that lever.

To this end, as shown in Fig. 1, I have illustrated a structure wherein I provide two presser bars, one presser bar being the presser bar 32 biased in its upward direction by a relatively weak coiled spring 33 and a second presser bar 4I mounted on the same guide members 33 above the presser bar 32.

Interposed between the two vide a relatively strong spring 42. The pedal is connected through the connecting rods 33 with the top presser bar, these rods passing through with a suitable clearance, the lower presser bar.

Likewise the adjustable presser stops 43 mounted in the top presser bar 4l are adapted to pass freely as at 44 through openings in the bottom presser bar 32. Accordingly when the treadle is rst moved downwardly the top presser bar 4| moves down forcing the bottom presser bar 32 downwardly iirst and causing its stop to engage a selected lever. When the bottom presser bar 32 reaches the limit of its downward movement a continued pressure on the controlling pedal will compress the spring 42 moving the top presser bar 4i down and causing its presser stop 43 to engage another selected lever.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a modification of the lever mountings. In this iigure I provide a lever 45 pivoted at its front end at 46 and having its rear end movable downwardly. A second lever 41 is pivotally mounted as at 48 to the first lever and the end 49 of this lever 41 is connected to the string to be controlled. The rear ends of the levers abut against a top stop similar to presser bars I pro- These sockets are for relieving the u the stop 30 for the levers illustrated in Figs. 3 and Accordingly, when lever 45 is depressed rocking on its pivot 46, it will pull down the pivot point 48 of the lever 41 and as the free end of this lever is prevented against vertical upward movement the front end of the lever is pulled downwardly thereby increasing the tension on the string. When, however, the rear end of the lever 41 is moved downwardly with the lever 45 remaining stationary, the front end of the lever 45 rocks upwardly on its pivot 48 releasing the tension on the string.

The invention claimed is:

1. A tensioning means for a string instrument having one end of the string permanently anchored, comprising a pair of controlling levers for said string, one of said levers being pivotally mounted adjacent its forward end on a stationary support, the other of said levers being pivotallyconnected to said first lever rearwardly of said pivotal mounting, said other lever having means for anchoring the other eiid of said string, said means being interposed between said pivotal connections, the rearward ends of each of said levers being depressible, and vertically adjustable means selectively engageable with the rearward ends of either lever whereby the pivot point connecting said respective levers is vertically adjustable.

2. A tensioning means for a string instrument having a plurality of strings each of which is permanently anchored at one end, comprising a plurality or pairs of levers for controlling the tension of said strings, each pair or levers including one lever having its forward end portion pivotally connected to a stationary support and a second lever pivotally connected to said iirst lever rearwardly of the forward end thereof, said second leveiof each pair having anchoring means for the other end of each of said respective strings interposed between said respective pivotal connections, the rearward ends of each of said respective pairs of levers being depressible, a transverse stop member disposed above the rearward ends of said respective pairs of levers and normally engageable thereby, a vertically movable presser bai' having presser stops selectively disposed for engagement with selective pairs of said levers, a second presser bar disposed above said first presser bai' and having selective presser stops mounted thereon for selectively engaging predetermined levers, means for biasing said first presser bar in its retracted position, resilient means interposed between said rst presser bar and said second presser bar for moving said second presser bar to its retracted position, said resilient means offering a greater resistance to the downward movement of the second bar than the biasing means of the first bai', and a single operating means connected to the said. second bar for depressing the same.

FLOYD B. SNODGRASS.

References cited in the oie of this patent 

